Choosing Joy

A Small, Faithful Choice

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

Thank you for subscribing-may these words bring a quiet moment of peace and reflection to your day.

My Daily Musings-September 6th, 2026

“Joy is not always something that finds us. Sometimes it is a small, faithful choice we make again today.”

I believe that this is true. Some days it is easier to feel joy in my soul than other days. On my harder health days, I really have to choose joy instead of letting discouraging and negative thoughts invade and take over my mind. When I feel darkness and discouragement start to slowly creep into my thoughts, I have to choose not to let those thoughts stay for very long. I always feel better in my soul when I have joy and I am grateful for my blessings. Yes, it’s harder on some days to have those joyful and grateful feelings. But it’s always worth it to turn my thoughts and emotions from negative ones to positive ones.

I realize that it is harder for some people to let those negative and discouraging thoughts go than it is for other people. I have had times in my life when I was depressed and I didn’t know if I could get out of the darkness in my soul very easily. So, I do sympathize with those who struggle with bad anxiety and depression.

I go back to what my therapist told me a while back. She said that it is okay to go through all of the emotions we feel, even the discouraging and negative ones. But we should think of those feelings as water washing over us like when we are in the shower. We can sit with them for a little while. But then we should let them wash down the drain so they won’t clog the drain or weigh down our thoughts and feelings.

It helps me to talk about my feelings with someone who understands how I feel, especially on my harder health days. So, reach out to those who understand how you feel. We are here on this earth to help one another through our difficult times. We need each other. We can learn from the faith of others who have gone through hard experiences.

What helps you choose joy on the days when joy doesn’t come easily? How do you remind yourself of your blessings when you’re going through a difficult time?

Choosing to Seek the Good

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

Thank you for subscribing-may these words bring a quiet moment of peace and reflection to your day.

My Daily Musings-August 31st, 2026

“Happiness isn’t that hard to find, you know. It’s everywhere. It’s all around us. But it’s not something that happens to us. It’s something we seek. It’s something we pursue.” From The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh.

I really like this quote from that book. I firmly believe that if we look for the negatives in our lives then we will find them. The opposite is also true: that if we look for the positives in our lives then we will find them. We will find what we seek. If we spend our time discouraged and depressed about our lives all the time, then we won’t feel much hope to get out of those feelings.

If we have a good attitude and are happy about our lives, then we will find more happiness in others and in the world around us. We will be more grateful for the blessings we have in our lives, and those things will help us be happy.

I used to believe that people around me could make me upset or happy. I have realized over the last few years that, while I can’t control everything that happens around me, I can choose how I respond to it. If I create a happy and grateful life, then I will be happy and feel grateful for my blessings.

I realize that not every day is an easy day. I have days when I get in a bad mood or when my blessings seem far away. But when those days happen, I try to get myself out of my bad mood as soon as I can. I prefer to be happy and grateful for my blessings. I think most of us are like that.

What do you find yourself looking for most in your life: the negatives or the positives? What is one thing you can do today to seek happiness and gratitude?

A Song for Today

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

Thank you for subscribing-may these words bring a quiet moment of peace and reflection to your day.

My Daily Musings-June 29th, 2026

“Birds start singing before they know how the day will go. Maybe that’s our reminder to do the same.”

I love this quote because it reminds me of the simple faith found in God’s creation. I love to sing because it fills my soul with joy. Like the birds, I often sing even though I have no idea what the rest of my day will hold. There may be unexpected challenges, disappointments, or blessings waiting around the corner, but in this moment, I can still choose joy.

I don’t know what goes on in a bird’s mind, but they don’t seem to spend their mornings worrying about tomorrow. They simply greet the day with song. What if we did the same? What if we spent less time stressing over what might happen and more time rejoicing in the gift of today?

How often do we let worries about the future steal the beauty of the present moment? And what would change if we began each day with gratitude and praise instead of fear and anxiety?

Perhaps the birds have something to teach us: trust God with the unknown, live fully in today, and don’t be afraid to sing before you know how the day will go.